Lyon confirm West Ham's €40m Lacazette bid rejected

The 24-year-old is Slaven Bilic’s priority signing this summer but the Ligue 1 outfit’s president has hinted at a lack of interest in the move from the striker

Lyon have confirmed they rejected West Ham’s €40 million (£31m) bid for Alexandre Lacazette, hinting the striker opted against the move.

As reported by Goal earlier in May, West Ham’s club-record bid – their second for Lacazette, following an initial offer of £23.7m – was swiftly rejected by Lyon after the 24-year-old expressed a lack of interest.

West Ham are expected to return with an improved offer, with Enner Valencia likely to make way, and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas insists any decision on Lacazette’s future is down to the player.

“For a sale to be made, all three parties must agree. We have refused several offers, the most important from West Ham for €40m and we refused it,” Aulas told Le Progres.

READ MORE | West Ham seal Nordtveit deal“It is an answer that says I want to keep him, but I’m not sure because ultimately it is he who will decide.

“I do not want on August 28, ahead of the Champions League, to find ourselves in the same situation as Monaco [who sold Anthony Martial to Manchester United last summer].

“Ideally, he will stay. If he has an offer that he can’t refuse then it will come through me, and that’s it.”